1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for displaying preview images to print and a computer-readable medium having a program for displaying preview images to print recorded thereon, enabling a parallel display of preview images of an object image to print from bitmap data into which data for printing the image is converted.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior-art apparatus of this kind for displaying preview images to print operates in such a manner that it displays a single preview image of an object image to print on the preview screen. Such apparatus is capable of displaying a preview image of only a page image to print or enlarging the entire page image and displaying a part of the enlarged page image as a preview when requested to enlarge the page image. When displaying a preview for a composite image composed of a plurality of unit pages to print, for example, a poster that is several times as large as standard print size, the apparatus displays a preview image to print of only one of the units pages, the page for which printing is just now going to be performed, on the preview screen.
Using the above prior-art apparatus for displaying preview images to print, if the user wants to view an enlarged preview of a spot on a page image being now displayed as the preview, the user must instruct the apparatus to enlarge the entire page image before specifying the spot to be displayed as the preview. Then, the apparatus displays only the enlarged preview of the spot, when the user cannot check again where the enlarged preview is positioned on the page image. This is regarded as one drawback of the similar prior-art apparatus. Before printing a large print such as a poster whose image composed of pages, even when the user wants to view the image, the apparatus displays the preview image of only one of the pages. The user cannot easily identify the position of the displayed page on the composite image. This is regarded as another drawback of the similar prior-art apparatus. Under these circumstances, the user must repeatedly make test prints of an object image to print from image data to see how the object image is printed.